Man to plead guilty to federal charges

Michael P. Mayko

Updated 10:47 pm, Wednesday, March 20, 2013

NEW HAVEN -- In the world of state politics, insiders claim that "it's all about the Benjamins." And the best way to say thank you "is more checks. That's the way the system works."

So Daniel Monteiro was told if his name appeared on a check, it would "help him if he need anything down the line."

At least, that's what the FBI recorded during its investigation of Roll Your Own smoke store owners using money in an attempt to kill legislation last year that would have taxed and licensed their businesses.

On Wednesday, Monteiro, a 33-year-old University of Connecticut graduate and co-owner of Villwell Builders in Wolcott, admitted to U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton that he put his name on a $2,500 check to help bankroll the Congressional campaign of former state Speaker of the House Chris Donovan.

Monteiro also admitted he knew the money would be refunded to him by owners of Roll Your Own smoke shops seeking to influence Donovan to use his position to stifle any bills detrimental to their business dealings.

The publicity surrounding this investigation enabled Elizabeth Esty to grab the Democratic Congressional 5th District nomination from the favored Donovan during a primary. She later won the general election in November.

While Donovan hasn't been charged with a crime and has said he had no knowledge of the plot, Jonathan Nassi, his campaign manager, and Robert Braddock Jr., his chief fundraiser, are among the nine people the FBI has arrested.

Monteiro, who told the judge he is suffering from depression, became the fourth person to plead guilty in the case. The remaining defendants are expected to stand trial beginning May 13.

Monteiro admitted to participating in a conspiracy to submit false campaign contribution documents to the Federal Elections Commission by allowing his name to be listed as a donor, even though the donation was returned to him.

It was all part of a scheme by Roll Your Own smoke store owners to conceal their involvement in the plot.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mattei is expected to ask Arterton to send Monteiro to prison for two years and fine him $50,000 when she sentences the defendant on June 12.

Mattei is asking for the same amount of prison time Monday for David Moffa, a 57-year-old retired corrections officer and former president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local 387; Moffa put his wife's name on a similar check and was repaid the $2,500 donation.

Michael Fitzpatrick, Monteiro's lawyer, said putting his client in federal prison "would be a shame."

"He did not have a financial interest in any smoke shops," the defense lawyer said. "He simply wrote a check as a favor."

During the course of the investigation, FBI agents recorded numerous conversations and later convinced H. Ray Soucy, another corrections union official and a longtime Democratic party worker, to cooperate in their investigation.

Soucy and Paul Rogers, 39, the owner of Smokehouse Tobacco, are the other two defendants who pleaded guilty in this case.

It was Rogers who told Monteiro that putting his name on a check could help him in the future. Monteiro said two of his employees also complied with Rogers' request.

At one point, Soucy allegedly asked Nassi if Donovan put the word "dead" on the legislation.

"Yeah. Yes he did," was the reply.

The legislation later passed during a Special Session and after the investigation became public.